


Sleeping angel

by ShinigamiCara



Series: Notice me! [4]
Category: Free!
Genre: Caring, Cute, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Illnesses, Love, M/M, Sweet, Tenderness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-21
Updated: 2017-01-21
Packaged: 2018-09-19 01:09:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9410819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShinigamiCara/pseuds/ShinigamiCara
Summary: Nagisa caught a cold and has to stay at home. His friends constantly visit him - but it's Rei-chan's presence he likes the most.





	

On Monday, Rei got a message from Makoto.

_Nagisa is ill, he will be absent from school probably the whole week. Will you be so kind as to come over and take him your notes?_

And this is how it all began.

*****

‘Rei-chan? Is that you, Rei-chan?’

Quiet thuds of bare feet were to hear, then a sleepy silhouette appeared in the door frame. Nagisa was dishewelled, his honey gold hair reaching for the ceiling. He wore his pyjamas and rubbed his eyes as he was looking at the person arriving to his home. He just woke up from a long, dreamless sleep and realized it was half past four, the time when Rei should come over to spend some time with him.

‘Hey,’ Rei said with a faint smile on his face. His cheeks got red because of the cold outside; it was freezing so he really felt relieved to be in the warm again. He pulled off his coat from his shoulders reluctantly as if he didn’t want to take it off. ‘How are you, Nagisa-kun?’ he inquired kindly as every time he came to check him.

‘Better,’ the little blond answered, still rubbing his eyes. ‘Definitely better.’

He took some steps forward till he could embrace Rei. It was a pretty new phenomenon between the two that Nagisa greeted him with a hug. Rei returned the gesture without hesitation.

‘Did I just woke you?’ Rei asked tenderly, placing his coat carefully on the coat rack, stepping closer. ‘Have you eaten anything today?’

‘Makoto was here in the morning and brought me some soup,’ Nagisa nodded. ‘I haven’t eaten all of I because I wasn’t hungry.’

‘You _should_ eat,’ Rei reproached, using the same gesture mothers do when they are about to teach a lesson to their sons. ‘You know soup is good for you. If you don’t eat, you’ll be weak and won’t recover. Should I warm up the rest for you?’

‘No, I’m fine,’ Nagisa protested vaguely, shaking his head. ‘You really overprotect me, you know. Haru-chan came over today to ask me if I wanted to borrow some of his video games; he thinks I’m bored. That was nice of him anyway…’ He was interrupted by an unforeseen attack of coughs. He covered his mouth with his palms; a lonely tear appeared in the corner of his eye because of the struggle. Rei made a worried face and stepped closer, but Nagisa shook his head. ‘It’s okay… Now, where was I? Oh yes, Haru was here. And you know, Makoto comes twice a day to check my temperature and he brings me food. Even Rin-chan came over yesterday… I wonder why you guys do this, after all...’

‘Because someone has to care about you while your parents are absent,’ Rei shrugged his shoulders as if it didn’t matter. Yet it _did_ matter… He personally felt responsible for his friend and that wasn’t the only thing. There was something bigger, harder to understand. Rei forced a smile on his lips. ‘Now, go back to bed, will you? You stand on the cold floor with bare feet!’

‘It’s okay, Rei-chan!’ Nagisa protested, coughing again but headed for the living room to sit on the couch. That was it. Every afternoon, after his classes, Rei came with a pile of notes but Nagisa didn’t feel like studying. There were times when he felt a bit stronger, then he made some effort to complete the tasks Rei gave him. _But not today_ , he thought, leaning back against the couch. He wrapped himself into a huge, warm knitted quilt, shivering a bit. Rei didn’t know his condition worsened because he left the house yesterday and forgot to wear a scarf… That caused him coughing again.

 Rei was quietly rummaging in the kitchen, warming up the rest of the soup for him. He became quite familiar with the apartment lately as he spent almost all his afternoon at Nagisa’s home. His parents were on a conference in the United States for the week; it was really a bad timing. Luckily, Makoto picked up the mother’s role and encouraged the others to visit him. Rei didn’t mind it at all. What’s more surprising, he found himself enjoying those few hours he could spend with the little blond guy.

As the soup was warm enough, Rei poured it into a bowl and carried it to Nagisa who was sitting in the living room, looking quite bored. Rei handed him the bowl and a spoon as well. Nagisa kept staring at it as if it was the most disgusting thing he’d ever seen.

‘Nuh-uh, I don’t want it,’ Nagisa shook his head stubbornly. ‘I’m not hungry a all!’

‘Please, eat it before you take your pills,’ Rei insisted, but Nagisa shook his head again. He sighed and added, as gently as possible: ‘Please.’ So Nagisa took the bowl with a disgusted grimace on his face, immerging the spoon into the liquid, stirring the tiny pieces of vegetables in it.

‘Would you stay a bit longer today?’ he looked up, putting a spoonful of soup in his mouth. It seemed a bit tasteless to him but it was warm and it made him feel a bit stronger as he ate slowly.

Rei normally left after an hour and a half or so as he had to study for the next day. He usually left Nagisa watching a film or so, always wondering if he would be okay. But as long as he knew Makoto would check him, he didn’t have to worry about it.

‘Would you like me to stay?’ he asked hesitantly, watching him eating the soup.

‘I thought it’s Friday so… maybe Rei-chan doesn’t have to study, so…’ Nagisa put down the spoon on the coffee table, peering up to him. ‘You don’t have to, anyway.’

‘That’s right, I can stay.’ Rei didn’t really know how to feel about the weird way his heart was beating. It was… faster than usual. Almost as fast when he emerged from water after a tough training…

Nagisa’s face lit up with a beaming smile; it could have been a wonderful moment but the little blond started to cough again. Rei watched him with a desperate look till he finished.

‘I’m sorry I don’t feel strong enough to learn today,’ he muttered, closing his eyes.

‘Well, no problem, you can catch up with us later as well, I’ll help.’

‘Thank you, Rei-chan.’ He sighed. ‘I miss training so much. Have you swam with Rei-chan again this week?’

‘No, I…’ Rei blushed a bit. ‘I actually left it out because I wanted to check if you were okay.’

‘Rei-chan…’ Tears were about to fill his eyes. ‘You didn’t have to…’

‘That’s fine, don’t worry.’

An abrupt silence fell on them, filling the room. Rei’s heart kept racing in his chest, almost tearing it apart. Why did it feel so weird today? Why was he daydreaming all day about coming here? He took place beside Nagisa who switched the TV on, not having any other idea how to break the embarrassing silence. He kept surfing between the channels till he found a transmission he started to like during the days he had to spend in bed with the flu (sadly it was a quite banal romantic series Rei truly hated) and nodded contentedly. As he was watching it, he leant closer to Rei till his head was on his shoulder.

It all came so naturally and easily. Rei didn’t protest. The lovers on the screen were arguing but the two of them didn’t say a word. Nagisa kept watching Rei from the corner of his eye. His breathing became slower as he got closer to falling asleep. He felt as if he was floating, light as a feather…

‘Rei-chan…’ he whispered.

‘Hmm?’

‘I like you are here.’

‘Ah… that’s… good…’ Rei answered slowly, not quite knowing what to say.

‘I mean, it was really the best part of the day when you came. It’s sad to think of it but when my parents come home, it won’t be the same anymore.’

‘Ah. But we… I mean… if you feel like to… we can spend time together, even after you recover.’

They were close. Very close. Rei wasn’t quite aware his hands were around Nagisa’s waist and Nagisa put his palms on them. Rei could smell his shampoo and Nagisa’s skin touched his. A wonderfully fragile moment, just for them. Nagisa’s fingers were drawing circles on his hands with slow motions. They weren’t paying attention to the show long ago.

‘Nagisa…’

The little blond lifted his head to look up to him. It was hard to keep his eyes open.

‘Are you sleepy? Shall I bring you to bed?’

‘Nuh-uh, stay,’ Nagisa muttered, closing his eyes. ‘Stay.’

‘Good, I stay here.’ He pulled him closer till he was in his arms. Nagisa shivered a bit so Rei caressed him tenderly.

‘Are you cold?’

‘N-no it’s fine.’ He buried his face into Rei’s shirt that smelt good. His eyelids felt too heavy to keep them open, so Nagisa simply fell asleep. Rei kept caressing his back till his breath became slower. Those golden strands mesmerized him. He lifted one hand to brush Nagisa’s hair; it felt amazingly silky between his fingers.

Till this point Rei was only dreaming about holding Nagisa in his arms, and now that it happened, he was sure he’d never let go.

 


End file.
